#pc
Stung by PC gamer outrage over the lack of dedicated server support in Modern Warfare 2, Activision has responded with something they'll appreciate about as little: An exclusive deal making GameServers.com the only dedicated server option for Black Ops. More »
Diehard PC gamers celebrated the news that, unlike the previous game in the series, Call of Duty: Black Ops would have support for multiplayer matches on dedicated servers. However, this group will probably be decidedly less thrilled by Activision and Treyarch's decision to partner with GameServers.com, which will have complete exclusivity rights for renting out the game's dedicated servers.
Treyarch community manager Josh Olin explained the partnership will allow administrators to "Kick, Ban, and Configure it the way you see fit," adding that Ranked servers will have fewer configuration options than their Unranked counterparts. GameServers' pre-order page prices 18-player Ranked servers at $14.95 a month with discounts for three, six or twelve-month payments. Unranked servers will be offered at $0.99 a month per player, with a maximum of 24 players. Of course, Treyarch's servers will be free -- provided you don't mind being part of the mainstream.
Developers and publishers have gone to some pretty drastic measures to prevent having their new products put through the Gamestop wash, such as EA's Project Ten Dollar, or Ubisoft's highly controversial "Pre-Owned Smart Bomb," which, upon sensing a player's intent to trade a game in, destroys his or her entire city. However, according to Treyarch's Mark Lamia, the developer hopes to combat resales of Call of Duty: Black Ops by making its multiplayer component positively unquittable.
"We're going to support the hell out of Black Ops," Lamia recently explained to MCV. "That will be our focus post-release: making sure we keep our fans engaged, and hopefully as a result, they'll want to keep playing our game and won't want to trade it in." A noble goal, but people really love trading in their games, guys. We're afraid of how things might escalate if Treyarch fights to keep their wavering attention. "No, wait, don't go," they might say, "now the game has dinosaurs!"
Activision has revealed actors Gary Oldman and Ed Harris as two of the main voices for characters in Call of Duty: Black Ops. Oldman will be reprising his role from Call of Duty: World at War, where he played Russian Red Army squad leader Viktor Reznov, and Harris is lending his voice to CIA operative Jason Hudson (said to be "one of the game's main characters").
Additionally, Batman film writer David S. Goyer is offering "script consultation and story development support" on Black Ops, presumably offering suggestions like "make the main character's voice darker, more gravelly." Treyarch studio head Mark Lamia said of the announcement, "Their contributions have helped us to push the boundaries of our story telling and character development far beyond anything we have ever attempted before in the franchise." Does that mean this time we'll understand what's going on? We can only hope.
#callofdutyblackops
Hollywood stars Gary Oldman and Ed Harris are lending their vocal talents to the upcoming Call of Duty, publisher Activision has revealed. More »
"Yeah, it surprised us too," Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer design director David Vonderhaar told us at the multiplayer reveal event in Los Angeles earlier this week. What surprised Vonderhaar and the team at Treyarch was the "30 to 40 percent" of Call of Duty players that never venture into mulitplayer, according to Activision research. His goal for Black Ops: To get as many of those people into multiplayer as possible.
With Modern Warfare 2 breaking sales records and its developer, Infinity Ward, in a state of collapse, following the highly publicized departure of the studio's founders and many of its senior staff, all eyes are on Treyarch to pick up the torch and deliver the most robust and polished multiplayer experience the franchise has seen yet.
But how far does Vonderhaar look to find competition? "The benchmark is always the last game that the studio's made, or that Activision's published," he said. "Multiplayer CoD games command three of the four top spots on Xbox Live right now. We're filling stadiums of people every night with players." And that fan base, which is shared across Infinity Ward's two Modern Warfare titles along with Treyarch's zombie-infused World at War multiplayer, hasn't shied away from upgrading annually.
But first, there's a challenge that Vonderhaar notes: A lot of different kinds of gamers buy Call of Duty games and never go online.
"Yeah, it surprised us too," Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer design director David Vonderhaar told us at the multiplayer reveal event in Los Angeles earlier this week. What surprised Vonderhaar and the team at Treyarch was the "30 to 40 percent" of Call of Duty players that never venture into mulitplayer, according to Activision research. His goal for Black Ops: To get as many of those people into multiplayer as possible.
With Modern Warfare 2 breaking sales records and its developer, Infinity Ward, in a state of collapse, following the highly publicized departure of the studio's founders and many of its senior staff, all eyes are on Treyarch to pick up the torch and deliver the most robust and polished multiplayer experience the franchise has seen yet.
But how far does Vonderhaar look to find competition? "The benchmark is always the last game that the studio's made, or that Activision's published," he said. "Multiplayer CoD games command three of the four top spots on Xbox Live right now. We're filling stadiums of people every night with players." And that fan base, which is shared across Infinity Ward's two Modern Warfare titles along with Treyarch's zombie-infused World at War multiplayer, hasn't shied away from upgrading annually.
But first, there's a challenge that Vonderhaar notes: A lot of different kinds of gamers buy Call of Duty games and never go online.
When Activision drops enough coin to rent out the California Science Center - replete with the Call of Duty: Black Ops logo projected on a real SR-71 Blackbird spy plane - it's only fair that we take pictures and share them with you. Of course, we weren't there for the glitz and glamour, we were busy playing the game's new multiplayer features and interviewing the multiplayer design director (coming soon). Live vicariously through our image gallery below.
It's not too early to start putting together your strategy for Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer, you know. Like, for instance, let's say you're one of those lucky few who can manage to string a series of kills together without being interrupted by ... um, death. You should probably decide on which killstreak bonuses you'll use in battle -- a decision made easier by the list of bonuses acquired by XG247 during last night's Black Ops multiplayer preview event.
Keep in mind that the reported rewards and their killstreak requirements are from an in-progress build of the game and could be subject to change. Still, there's plenty to be excited about in this taste of what can be unlocked in Black Ops. We've posted the full list after the jump to avoid spoiling the fun for those who'd prefer to stay in the dark.
Not long after hearing about Call of Duty: Black Ops' multiplayer options, I grabbed a controller and tried to shoot fellow press as best I could in the new Wager Match modes. I got to play three of the four new modes at the Activision reveal event: "One in the Chamber," "Sticks and Stones," and "Sharp Shooter."
As you might have read, Call of Duty: Black Ops not only rewards XP in multiplayer, it also rewards CP ("CoD points"). CP is your main currency for unlocking gear and content. Everything in multiplayer costs CP to unlock -- killstreaks, new guns, even layers and symbols that can be used to create your own emblem and logo. So CP, while plentiful (especially when you're good), is important. Losing it in wager matches puts you further away from getting whatever items or unlocks you want.
#callofduty
It's a safe bet that Call of Duty: Black Ops will become the de facto multiplayer shooter of the fall, deservedly so for the intelligent, exciting online features that developer Treyarch is adding to the series—most notably, gambling. More »
Activision revealed the Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer component at an event this evening in Los Angeles. We'll have a full preview later on, but first, we'll just run you through the various features that Treyarch is adding to the latest iteration of Call of Duty.
Producers Dan Bunting and David Vanderhaar took the stage at the LA Coliseum with three pillars for the new CoD multiplayer game: "Compete, customize, and create." Competition was the first element -- beyond the standard Call of Duty multiplayer elements, Treyarch has added a whole new mode called Combat Training, which brings AI opponents to the mix. Yes, bots have arrived in Call of Duty.
#blackops
Offline multiplayer matches against AI opponents will be a feature of Call of Duty: Black Ops, a mode the game's studio built to include gamers who are disinclined to spend much time in the game's notoriously challenging online multiplayer culture. More »
#clips
Call of Duty: Black Ops' new Wager Matches are free-form game modes designed to be "adrenaline junkie fun," Treyarch Design Director David Vonderhaar told a gathering of press tonight. More »
#callofduty
We'll be playing Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer for the first time tonight at an Activision event in Los Angeles, a shindig expected to be filled with announcements, excitement and plenty of hands-on time with Treyarch's new shooter. More »
#callofduty
Tonight, publisher Activision and developer Treyarch will be holding a multiplayer preview event for the next game in the wildly successful Call of Duty series. Kotaku will be there, enjoying our first hands-on time with Call of Duty: Black Ops. More »
Are you in Japan, and simply aren't satisfied with only being able to purchase one version of Call of Duty: Black Ops? Chill out! Square Enix, the game's Japanese publisher, is localizing the game in two separate SKUs, allowing you to buy it not just once, but twice!
According to the Call of Duty: Black Ops Japanese blog, the subtitled version will be released first on November 18, while the dubbed one -- featuring a "major voice cast" -- won't be released until December 16. Unfortunately, both versions will carry the same, painfully high ¥7,980 ($95) price.
Treyarch is planning to do a little "official" modding of the PC version of Call of Duty: Black Ops, adding tools to enable user modding after launch. Treyarch's Cesar "PCDev" Stastny said on the game's forum, "We do not know yet to what extent you will be able to mod the game," citing some technical issues that have yet to be dealt with. "Right now we are completely focused on finishing the game."
Infinity Ward teased mod tools for the PC version of Modern Warfare 2, but that didn't end up happening. The good news is that if these Black Ops mod tools pan out, you can make all the Modern Warfare 2 levels, and then mod those.
#pc
Perhaps seeking to undo some of the damage done to the Call of Duty franchise on the PC wrought by Modern Warfare 2, Treyarch has revealed that Black Ops will feature mod tools. More »
- not being shown at Gamescom
- no assets available either
- Treyarch promises to make this experience as similar to the 360/PS3 versions as possible
- graphically better than Modern Warfare Reflex
- seeing some constraints during development, due to the bigger landscapes and destructible environments
- no Classic Controller support
- new details on or around Sept.
#gamescom2010
These new Call of Duty: Black Ops screens from Treyarch take us over the mountains and through the woods. Be sure to check out our most recent Black Ops impressions. More »
